Bayonetta: Into Inferno
by T.E. Takeuchi
Summary: It's been a year since Bayonetta defeated Jubileus, and life seems to get boring. But when some angels down in Inferno are overheard about an attack, everything up on Earth is about to change. Bayonetta/Luka, Bayonetta/Jeanne.
1. I Sol Tace

Hey guys! So, this is my first Bayonetta fanfiction. I really hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bayonetta or any characters related to it. The wonderful Sega does.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

** I Sol Tace**

**(Where The Sun Is Silent)**

"Cheshire, I was ready five minutes ag-" Bayonetta started, but was cut off when a harsh burning sensation exploded in her chest. She looked down to see blood pouring from an entry wound made by a sword, her own sword, Shuraba; her gaze then traveled up to look at Luka, the assailant who was holding the sword.

His eyes were cold and staring, unemotional pools not seeing the pain he was causing to the woman right in front of him; as if he were hiding, ashamed of what he'd done.

Bayonetta choked on her words and blood poured from her mouth as Luka removed the sword from her chest. He dropped it with a clank and stumbled back as a large portal opened up underneath Bayonetta, who was now crouched over, clutching her chest. Luka stepped a little closer, as if examining his handy work.

Bayonetta swung her head up and glared at Luka, then gave a smirk. "Don't get too close, Cheshire, you might get pulled down, too!" She said, the blood on her face staining the beautiful grin she had. In a flurry, she had reached out and snagged Luka's wrist, just as the arms from the demons of Inferno snatched her and began dragging her into the portal. "I'm not going alone!" she cried at him. He could only stare, a look of surprise on his face.

Bayonetta and Luka both disappeared into the portal to Inferno. The day was still around them.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

_Three Days Earlier_

Bayonetta yawned, leaning her head back and putting her arms behind her head. "How boooooring," she drawled, twirling a bloody halo in her hands. "You boys have certainly lost your touch since I took out your leader."

The angels around her advanced slowly, holding their weapons tightly, knowing it was of no use.

"Pity," she continued, not looking up at them, "I used to love fighting you angels, but now..." she fired a gun on her heel, killing the closest angel to her, "I've just lost interest."

The angels all lunged at her then at once, and she spun around, hair whipping about, taking out each one in unison with her guns. She landed easily in between them and angels guts went flying everywhere, expect on her. Pushing her hair back with one of her guns, she gave a "Hmmph" noise and sauntered off, swaying her hips as she walked.

"I wonder where Jeanne is. I could really use a good challenge right now..."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Luka descended the stairs that led to the infamous bar, The Gates of Hell, in a little bit of a hurry. He swung the door open, trudged up to the bar, and looked Rodin straight in the eyes. "Where's Bayonetta?" He asked suddenly. Rodin didn't look at Luka, but continued to wipe down the tiny rose glass in his hand. After a few minutes, he put down the glass next to Luka's hand and cocked his head.

"You just missed her," he said unemotionally. "Why? You got a bone to pick? You don't look too happy."

Luka made a "tch!" noise and flopped into a chair, crossing his arms. "I need to tell her something, er….urgent," he said, putting stress on the word urgent. "Do you know where she might've gone?"

Rodin turned away from Luka and began fixing up a drink. "Probably off fighting angels. Same thing she does everyday, kid," he said, pouring an unlabeled liquid into the glass, swirling it, then reaching for another bottle. "It's been almost a year since those two finished off Jubileus, the whole worlds forgotten about them, and yet they still fight those damn angels to the bone. Must be a hard life, if you ask me."

Rodin finished up his concoction and set it down on the table in front of Luka. "On the house," and gave him a firm stare. Luka looked from the glass to Rodin, then picked up the glass, downed it, gagged, then recuperated and shook his head.

"Wh-what was in that?" He sputtered.

"Bayonetta wears a lovely perfume," was all Rodin said. Luka scratched his head.

Rodin turned away from Luka. "I'll be right back, kid. Don't leave," he said, then disappeared into a portal.

Luka looked around, then planted his face on the table, forehead to granite. "Dammit, what was I even thinking, coming down here? Why would fate ever give me a helping hand?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The knock at Jeanne's door came as a surprise. She lifted herself from her couch, setting down the book she had in hand and walked lazily to the door. On her way, the doorbell rang again and she ruffled her nose.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called, reached the door, and yanked it open, only to find Bayonetta standing in her door way, one hand on the doorbell, the other holding a lollipop in her mouth, hips jutted, a smile on her face.

"Ah, there you are! I was beginning to think you weren't home," Bayonetta said, pushing past Jeanne and inviting herself into the other witch's domicile. "What were you doing, anyways?"

"Reading," Jeanne said, shutting the door and looking at Bayonetta impatiently. "And it didn't take me _that_ long to get to the door, you were just being impatient."

"C'mon, Jeanne, let's go have a little fun!" Bayonetta said, ignoring Jeanne's impatient remark. "I was killing off some angels just a bit ago and I found it dreadfully boring. I need a nice challenge. You up for it?"

"You mean fight?" Jeanne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Did I stutter? Of course that's what I mean," Bayonetta snapped, becoming a bit impatient herself.

"Cereza, I-," Jeanne started.

"Bayonetta," Bayonetta corrected.

"I'm not really in the mood to fight. But, if I caught you at a good time, can I talk to you about something?" Jeanne continued, ignoring Bayonetta's interjection.

"Uuuugh, today is just getting more and more boring," Bayonetta groaned.

"Please, Cereaza-"

"_Bayonetta!_"

"Just for a second. We could take a walk through the park, and maybe after I'll be up for a round," Jeanne bartered. Bayonetta put a hand on her hip and removed the lollipop from her mouth, rolling it across her lips, then licking them clean. Jeanne watched, entranced.

"Let's get one thing straight, first, Jeanne. I go by Bayonetta now. I have for the past year, and yet you still call me Cereza," Bayonetta snapped.

Jeanne was quiet for a second. "I…I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so used to calling you Cereza."

"You certainly had no problem calling me Bayonetta while you were brainwashed," Bayonetta replied, rolling the lollipop in her mouth with her tongue.

Jeanne clicked her teeth. "Yes, and that's precisely why: _I was brainwashed._"

"Right, well, then, that's settled. On to the next matter!" Bayonetta said, a smile on her face.

"Hold on, can I ask you something?" Jeanne interrupted.

"Uuuugh, what now?" Bayonetta sighed.

"Why?" she said. "Why do you want to be known as Bayonetta?" Jeanne looked at Bayonetta intently. "Why would you abandon you're birth name?"

Bayonetta exhaled softly and removed the sucker from her mouth. Her expression was softer than usual and Jeanne noted this, taking the chance to move closer to the latex-laden woman.

"Because, the name Cereza holds memories that I wish not to associate myself with. As Bayonetta I can start a new life, and I don't have to be labeled by what happened to me as 'Cereza'. There," she said, her expression returning to normal as she popped the candy back into her mouth, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jeanne was quiet for a moment, then smiled at Bayonetta. "That's fair."

"Good, now, can we go on this little walk and talk of yours so that we can get down to what I really came here for?" Bayonetta said eagerly, clapping her hands together.

Jeanne chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Always the eager one, aren't you, Bayonetta?"

Bayonetta looked at Jeanne from over the rims of her glasses and gave a smirk, a look that Jeanne couldn't resist. She felt her throat tightening, groping for something to say, but Bayonetta beat her to it.

"Always," she said, dragging the word out as lengthy as possible. She sauntered over to the door, swaying her hips (more than usual, Jeanne thought) and turned to Jeanne. "Now, shall we?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It had been almost half an hour before Rodin returned to the bar. Luka had stayed, just as the tall, intimidating man had told him to. When he did return, Luka jumped, falling from his chair and landing hard on his back. Rodin looked down at him from behind the bar.

"Woops," was what he said. Luka sat up, rubbing his head and climbed back into the chair.

"So, where'd you go? And why?" he asked, pushing the empty glass towards Rodin.

"Inferno. I owed someone down there a favor," Rodin said, taking the glass and pouring Luka another round. Luka downed it and looked at Rodin.

"Inferno, eh? How is it you manage to go in and out of there without even a second thought?" Luka asked.

Rodin poured himself a drink and took a sip, then leaned on the counter. "There was talk down there. About your lady, Bayonetta."

"What? What do you mean?" Luka slammed his hands on the table. "And she's not my lady." He added.

"Some dead angels down there were saying somethin' about an attack, on the two witches. Considering Bayonetta and Jeanne are the only two witches up here, I'd say they were talking about them," Rodin answered. "They said it was gonna be big. So do me a favor, will ya, kid?"

Luka looked up at Rodin. "Sure, what?"

"Go warn the ladies. This one might be too much for them to handle, if those suckers down in Inferno are involved."

Luka laughed shortly and leaned back in his chair. "Ha! I'm sure they're fine. After all, Bayonetta killed a god."

Rodin glared, then folded his arms. "That may be true, but it wouldn't hurt to at least warn them, now would it?"

Luka glanced at Rodin sideways and leaned back. "Yeah, yeah, I'll go in a sec. But why don't you go warn them? They'll probably think I'm joking."

Rodin looked around his bar, then back to Luka. "I've got a bar to run."

Luka sighed. "Fine, I'll go."

"You better hurry, boy." Rodin turned his back on Luka. "If anything happens to either one of those ladies, it'll be you to blame."

Blinking, Luka stared at Rodin's back, before slinging his scarf over his shoulder, hiking up his back, and walking steadily towards the exit of the bar.

_What'd he mean by that?_ Luka thought to himself as he left the bar.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Jeanne couldn't help but watch Bayonetta walk. They way she swung her hips, one hand one her side, the other holding the lollipop that she rolled in her mouth, sucking on its delightful flavor; her hair, flowing in the wind, those two red ribbons billowing behind her, with gold chains and trinkets galore. It drove Jeanne crazy.

Admittedly, Jeanne had liked Cereza for a while. Everything about her drove Jeanne up the wall; her hair, her eyes, her voice. Oh, lord, _her voice_. It drove Jeanne insane when Cereza would talk in her purring voice, cooing at people, teasing them, taunting them. Jeanne shivered and looked back at Bayonetta, trying her hardest to keep her eyes above shoulder level.

But how to tell her? This was the very reason Jeanne hadn't told Bayonetta/Cereza about it yet. She sighed, looking down at her feet.

Suddenly, she bumped into something and stumbled back, looking up only to find that she had run in to Bayonetta. Jeanne stumbled back a bit, nervously clasping her hands together.

"Something bothering you, Jeanne?" Bayonetta said, looking straight into Jeanne's eyes. She did that purring thing with her voice, where she playfully extended several of the words. Bayonetta dragged the lollipop across her tongue, and licked her teeth, staring directly into Jeanne's wavering eyes. "Well?"

Jeanne swallowed the lump in her throat. "A-actually, there is something…I want to talk to you about…"

"Oh?" Bayonetta cooed, running a hand down her abdomen then back up to her hip where she let it rest. "Isn't that why we took this little walk?"

"Well, yes, it is why I asked you to walk with me," Jeanne confirmed, trying to buy herself time. "But, the truth is, Cere-er…Bayonetta, I-"

But she never got to finish, because in the next second a long, white, tail-looking appendage burst from the ground between the two, sending them both flying in opposite directions. It was followed by an exploding noise, and fire shooting straight up into the air.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Luka was walking with his hands in his pockets, his scarf and hair blowing lightly in the breeze. "Stupid Rodin…sending me on some little errand. He probably just wanted me out of his bar," he mumbled.

"I'm sure Bayonetta and Jeanne can take care of themselves." At the thought of Bayonetta, Luka thrust his head back and groaned. "Why, dammit? Why did I have to fall for her?"

At that moment, there was a loud bang and the ground below Luka's feet began shaking. In the distance, an explosion and fire jetted into the air. Luka's stomach churned. "Bayonetta!" he shouted, then took off as fast as he could in the direction of the explosion.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Bayonetta was thrust back from the force, but recuperated in the air and landed on her feet, skidding a good twenty yards. She looked back up fiercely, pulling out Parsley and Thyme, and quickly looked for Jeanne. When she saw the white-haired witch stumbling, she took off, guns flaring, distracting the flailing appendage.

"Over here, ugly!" she called, not really sure what to refer to this thing as. What was it attached to? She leapt up, flipping in the air, firing her guns, and landing all direct hits on the tail. Something below them, under the ground, screeched in pain and the whole park began trembling.

Bayonetta stumbled and had to flail her arms to regain balance. She stood up and looked around; the appendage was gone, but fire was spraying from the hole in the ground, into the sky. She pushed up her glasses with Thyme.

"Jeanne! Where are you?" she called. Listening intently, she was about to call out again when an answer came.

"I'm over here!"

Bayonetta turned in the direction of the call and took off, curling around the spewing fire, then stopping, looking around. She spotted Jeanne, kneeling on the ground, holding her side; Bayonetta ran over to her, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Bayonetta asked, gazing anxiously around for the thing that attacked them. It was nowhere in sight.

"Yeah, I think so." Jeanne said, removing her hand from her side. Bayonetta saw blood on her glove.

"Jeanne, you're bleeding."

"It's alright. It's just a scrape," Jeanne reassured, but Bayonetta didn't buy it.

"C'mon, let's get out of here before it comes back!" She began tugging on Jeanne, trying to help drag the woman out of harm's way.

A low rumble started and Bayonetta stopped; she looked around. The noise became louder and louder, so she hastily picked up Jeanne, running quickly to what she thought would be a safe spot. She set the other witch down and turned to leave, but Jeanne snagged her wrist.

"Where are you going?"

Bayonetta smirked and pushed up her glasses in the way she always did- forefinger and middle finger, gently, on the side.. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this one. After all, I was looking for a nice challenge." Then she bolted off before Jeanne could stop her.

"Cereza…" Jeanne muttered, then clutched her side in pain.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Luka didn't know exactly where he was going; he was letting his feet do all the work. For some reason, they seemed to know where he was going better than his brain, so he allowed them to take him wherever they wanted.

He ended up at a park and wondered if he was right in trusting his feet. Right when he was about to leave he heard a low rumbling and swiveled in his spot, only to see Bayonetta running towards a hole in the ground that was crumbling.

"Bayonetta!" He called, starting after her, but was stopped when a large tremor pierced the area and he was thrown onto his back.

In the next second, a giant creature emerged from the ground, breaking the earth around it and crawling up, its massive claws digging at the ground. Bayonetta stopped in her spot, seemingly stunned and Luka scrambled back to his feet.

The creature, in full, had the body of a lion, the head of a wolf, and the tail of a leopard. Its skin was shining white, with gold armor decorating its body. A red aura surrounded the creature as it shook its body, as it trying to get rid of ages of dirt on it skin. It looked around for a few seconds, then finally noticed Bayonetta below it, firing her guns directly at its face.

It lowered its head, trying to see her, then screeched and lifted a giant paw.

"BAYONETTA!" Luka exclaimed and dashed off as fast as he could.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

She stared at it for a second; she'd never seen an angel this large, besides Jubileus. But she wasn't afraid of it- no, not at all. In fact, it made her skin tingle.

"Finally," she said, licking her lips eagerly and donning a wicked smile, "a real challenge."

She leapt up as it smashed its claw into the ground and landed on its foot, charging up its arm. She reached its shoulder before it could even react, and began firing away at its armor, trying to disarm it.

Suddenly, Bayonetta heard someone screaming her name and looked up to see Luka running towards her. "Luka?" she said, tilting her head.

The creature swung its tail around and tried to swipe at Bayonetta, but she jumped up and off, dodging it just in time. She landed on the ground with a heavy thump and dashed off towards Luka, signaling him to stay away.

"Get out of here, Cheshire! There's an angel I need to deal with!" she called to him.

"I know!" Luka called. "I can see it! Rodin sent me to warn you!"

Bayonetta froze for a second. "You can see it?" She looked back to the angel, who seemed to be confused a bit, looking around and sniffing.

"Yeah, I can…" Luka said, realizing how bizarre that actually was. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the angel's tail whipping about. "Bayonetta, watch out!"

He fired his zip line and flew towards her, catching her just as the tail smashed the ground where she had previously been. They landed softly between some trees, hidden for now.

"What the hell is that thing!" Luka exclaimed.

Bayonetta shoved him aside. "Go find Jeanne, make sure she's safe. I'll take care of the pest," she said, and thrust her arms back. A burst of purple light jetted from her and her hair extended behind her, sporting a golden chain-net. She thrust her guns towards the angel beast.

"Let's rock, baby!" and lunged after it.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Luka stood there, bewildered, and after a second, shook his head. "Don't get hurt," he muttered, then dashed from the trees, looking for Jeanne. He could hear Bayonetta calling and taunting the angel, and the beast screaming and roaring as it tried to land a hit on her.

Jeanne was resting against a lamppost when Luka found her and he stopped a few feet away. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Jeanne snapped. "Where's Cere- Bayonetta?"

"Fighting off the monster. C'mon, we gotta get out of here!" He insisted, reaching towards Jeanne.

Jeanne slapped his hand away. "No! I am _not_ going to leave my last Umbran Sister here to fight this foul beast alone!" and she charged off before Luka could stop her.

"Jeanne, no! You're injured!" he called, and chased after her.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

As Bayonetta fought, nothing seemed to be working. She tried all of her weapons, but she couldn't find a weak spot on this one. Gritting her teeth, she back-flipped off the beast's head, but mid-air, it reared its head and slammed into her, sending her careening into the ground, creating a crater where she landed.

Sitting up stiffly, she rubbed her head, dizzy from the hard hit. "Well, that was rude," she snarled.

The monster roared into the air and lifted onto its hind legs. Bayonetta's eyes grew wide when she realized what it was about to do. If it landed, there would be a massive earthquake, crumbling not only trees and the park, but buildings in the city. Thousands would die.

She leapt up, closed her eyes for a second, then re-opened them quickly, tossing aside her two guns. Thrusting her arms out to the side, twisting and twirling, a sort of dance, she called out:

"AVAVAGO!"

Her hair descended from her body, stripping her of her clothes, and formed in the air, creating a large summon, the dragon Gomorrah.

It screeched at the angel beast and launched forward, just as the beast came crashing down, front claws rearing.

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><p>So there's chapter one! I hope I did okay, I apologize for an ooc-ness. 3 Anyway, tell me what you think! Please review! Also, I'm still up for grabs on whether this is going to turn out as a BayonettaxLuka fic or BayonettaxJeanne. So place your vote! Next chapter coming soon!<p> 


	2. Euntes In Inferno

And here we go with the first chapter! It's more like an opening, or a foreword, idk. Because it's not chapter one. I have a special "order" that I'm following, so technically this isn't actually chapter one. It's the thing that comes after the prologue, but before the first chapter...if that makes any sense at all. xD

Disclaimer: I do not own Bayonetta or any characters related to it. The wonderful Sega does.

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><p><strong>Opening<strong>

**Euntes In Inferno**

**(Into Inferno)**

When Bayonetta opened her eyes next it was dark out; the moon hung low in the sky, casting silver light and dancing shadows on the land. At first, everything seemed serene; then the events of what happened flashed in Bayonetta's mind and she leapt up quickly, stumbling a bit. Turing wildly about, she found that neither her demon summon, nor the angel were in sight; she couldn't even see Jeanne or Luka.

She froze abruptly. "Jeanne…" she breathed, remembering how Jeanne had been injured. "Jeanne!" she called out, a bit frantically, still turning in circles, trying to find sign of any life. "Jeanne! Cheshire!" She gritted her teeth.

"Luka! Jeanne! Where are you?" she shouted. "Someone answer me!"

Opening her mouth to call out once again, she paused when she heard a groaning noise to her left, from beyond the tree grove. Spinning on her heels, she dashed towards the noise, wondering which of the two (if either) it was.

When she burst through the brush, she had to stop from the thick darkness that surrounded her. After her eyes focused, she noticed a beam of light shining down between the treetops, and in the middle of the light, a figure was lying, sprawled on the ground. Bayonetta instantly recognized it as Jeanne.

"Jeanne!" she shouted and ran over to her. Dropping to her knees, Bayonetta turned the other witch to face her; her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. "Oh god, Jeanne…"

When Bayonetta flipped Jeanne around, she saw the damage done to her friend. Her clothes were torn at her abdomen and chest, and there was a massive hole in the middle of Jeanne's chest. So massive, Bayonetta could see her muscles, ribs, and organs inside. She nearly vomited, but kept her composure and grabbed the other witch's hand in hers.

"Jeanne, don't move, I'm going to get you help…" she said, trying not to panic Jeanne. Bayonetta turned her head, looking into the darkness. "Luka! Luka where are you?" she called out.

Slowly, Jeanne reached up and put her hand on Bayonetta's face. "Cereza…" Bayonetta stopped and slowly looked back down to Jeanne, the other witch's blood smearing on her face, and all over her front side. "Can I call you that, just this…once?" Jeanne choked.

Bayonetta shook her head. "Yes, of course, whatever you want! But you shouldn't talk, save your strength."

"I've no…strength left…Cereza…" Jeanne muttered, her eyes going hazy. "I remember…when I first saw you, lying on the floor crying. I made myself a promise…that I'd never let any pain…come to you…"

"Jeanne…" Bayonetta said, her eyes becoming soft. She knew that Jeanne was beyond help at this point, but she didn't want to believe it. "Just hang in, a little more."

This time, Jeanne shook her head. Her eyes were looking straight at Bayonetta, but they weren't seeing her. Her vision was fading and the world was going black. "Cereza…live a good life…" she murmured. "You have…many people here…that care about you…"

Underneath the two witches, a portal opened up, red and black, glowing. Arms began reaching up through it, grabbing at Jeanne. Bayonetta closed her eyes, gripping Jeanne close to her; a memory of herself, waking up from her coma after Jeanne had pulled her from Jubileus's eye plagued her mind. She remembered how she thought Jeanne was going to die, again, and it was all her fault. Bayonetta's grip tightened around Jeanne. And she would have stayed there with Jeanne and let the demon arms drag her down with her, had Jeanne not suddenly lurched, knocking Bayonetta away. She tumbled and stopped a few feet off and quickly sprung back onto her feet, leaping for Jeanne.

"Jeanne, no! I won't let them take you!" she cried, but was restrained by a strong, warm, grip. The smell of dirt filled her nose.

Luka grabbed Bayonetta by the upper arm and pulled her back, hugging her close to him. He pulled her head to his chest, cradling her close to him. "Don't get too close, Bayonetta, or you'll get sucked in, too," was what he said.

As Jeanne began disappearing into the portal, Bayonetta lowered her head, clinging closer to Luka. Luka relaxed his grip, and in that moment, Bayonetta thrusts her arms back, sending out a wave of energy, shoving him away from her. She lunged once more for Jeanne, her eyes glowing red.

"Bayonetta, no!" Luka cried.

"Jeanne!" she called out, but once more, a hand lashed out and restrained her. This time, the restrainer was none other than Rodin. He was gripping her hair and ribbons, holding her as she struggled, as if she were no stronger than a toddler fighting against their parents' grip. "Let go! Let go you wretched man!" But it was no use.

In the next moments, Jeanne disappeared all together into the portal and the hole itself closed up; Luka stood back up, staggering back over to Rodin and Bayonetta, and Bayonetta continued her useless struggle against Rodin's grip. After a few minutes, she tired of fighting and her body fell limp. Rodin let go of her hair, and she slumped over, burying her face in her hands. Luka couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but the sight of this powerful woman weeping because of him caused a tight knot to knit in his stomach and show no signs of letting go.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Luka looked mournfully at Bayonetta in Rodin's arms. After awhile she had collapsed, unconscious, having expended all her energy; Rodin picked her up. He turned to Luka and glowered down at him.

"This one's on your shoulders, kid," he said, then strode off, back towards his bar in the city. Luka watched him walking off for a second, then turned his head to look at the spot where Jeanne had previously been. Blood stained the grass.

Remorsefully, Luka drooped his head and trudged off after Rodin.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Rodin had an extra cot in the bar; it was this very cot that he laid Bayonetta down in. Luka appeared next to him, looking at the unconscious witch's body.

"She looks so peaceful," he noted, "when she's sleeping."

"It won't last long," Rodin said. "When she wakes up, she's gonna bring hell with her. I ain't never seen her like that before."

Luka looked at Rodin, then back to Bayonetta. Her skin was so soft and milky. She looked more like an angel than a witch, lying so peacefully on the bed, her arms limp by her sides, her head tilted slightly, mouth partially ajar. Luka simply wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek. But he refrained, for fear of waking the sleeping beauty.

As Rodin exited the cot, Luka slumped to the ground, grabbing his head and groaning. "This is all my fault," he mumbled, looking woefully at Bayonetta's face. "I'm so sorry…"

()()()()()()()()()()()

Worried, exhausted, and feeling guilty, Luka had simply fallen asleep on the floor next to Bayonetta's bed in the small cot above Rodin's bar. Light filtered slowly through the one circular window, dancing across Luka's face and shining on his shut eyelids. He ruffled his nose, then slowly lifted his head, rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes to wipe away the fatigue.

When the room around him came in to focus, he found an empty bed, with strewn sheets thrown aside. "Bayonetta?" he croaked.

After waiting a few moments and hearing no reply, Luka stood up and stretched, yawning widely. His jaw cracked and he mumbled, then rubbed it with one hand as he made his way out of the small cot, having to duck down slightly to fit through the door.

_How come I didn't notice that last night? _He wondered, then slowed to a stop. "Last night…"

An overwhelming feeling of guilt came over Luka, and it tugged at his chest, making him feel as if some invisible hands were grabbing his insides and twisting them in all the wrong directions. He keeled over, a look of horror on his face. "Bayonetta…"

Wondering where she could be, he found himself rushing down the stairs of the cot, past the outside world, and down into the dingy bar below. It was nearly empty, save for a small group of suspicious looking fellows sitting in the far corner, as far away from Rodin as possible. Luka paid no attention to them as he whirled past the tables and went straight to the bar.

"Where's Bayonetta?" he asked, slightly disgruntled. _Deja vu_, he thought to himself.

Rodin didn't waste anytime. "You got bad luck kid. She left awhile ago."

"Where'd she go?" he demanded.

Rodin turned his body to completely face Luka and leaned down, his eyes peering over the top of his sunglasses. "Last I heard she was heading up to the roof. If you're lucky, she might still be there."

Luka nodded eagerly and turned from the bar, muttering, "Thanks," as he did.

Rodin tilted his head. "Hey, kid!" he called out. Luka stopped and looked wearily over his shoulder. "Hell hath no fury, like a pissed off witch."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Bayonetta was sitting atop the building, her legs dangling off the side, arms folded over her chest. She had a curious look on her face, focusing on something in the distance. Her eyes were narrow, cold, and unseeing. She heard the door open, but didn't move an inch; hair and ribbons waved restlessly in the air.

"How long you been up here?" came Luka's voice from her behind her. She could hear his leather shoes clicking softly on the cement roof as he walked.

All she did was blink, her thoughts far off.

"You'll catch a cold, it's awfully windy up here," he continued. His voice was silky, almost comforting. This stirred something in Bayonetta and she turned her head slowly to gaze at him over her left shoulder.

"No need to worry your little head about me, Cheshire," Bayonetta said with an icy undertone. "I'll be fine."

He finally reached her and stood by her side for a second, then threw his legs over the edge and took a seat next to her. He looked at her face as she gazed at him, her eyes glistening pools of silver.

"Bayonetta," he started. "I-."

"I'm going in after her," Bayonetta interrupted, looking away from Luka. Luka froze.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going to Inferno to get Jeanne. I'm bringing her back." She spoke with confidence and clarity, no flare or purr in her voice.

"Y-you can't be serious," Luka sputtered, at a loss of what to say.

Bayonetta stood up quickly, her hair billowing around her from the sudden movement. Chains clinked; she snapped her head quickly to look at Luka. "Completely." In a swift movement, she jumped from the ledge, back-flipped, and dropped five stories to the ground, landing gracefully in front of the doors that led to The Gates of Hell.

"Not fair!" Luka called and swiveled, dashing for the doors on the roof.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Throwing the doors open, Bayonetta strutted into the bar. The men in the corner cowered for a moment, then adjusted their shirts when they saw who it was. She paid them no heed and moved swiftly to the front of the store, sashaying her hips, a placid look on her face.

By the time she reached the bar, Rodin had a drink ready for her, and set it gently on the tabletop. Bayonetta lifted the small rose glass and swallowed the drink in one gulp.

"I'm going to go drag Jeanne's arse back up here," she said after a long silence. She swirled a small drop of liquid in her drink around.

Rodin picked up the bottle of liquor closest to him and refilled her glass. "Alright, baby," he said coolly. "Just make sure you don't get stuck down there. It'll get real borin' up here on Earth without a lady like you around, Bayonetta."

Bayonetta finished off the second drink and looked up at Rodin. A smirk tugged at her lips, and her normal, playful ferocity returned. "How kind of you, Rodin, to worry about a girl like me."

In the next second, Luka came bursting through the side door, stumbling, and falling flat onto his face. Everyone in the bar gazed lazily at him, and Bayonetta exhaled softly, pushing her glasses up.

"What's the rush, Cheshire?" she cooed.

From the ground, he looked up at her and sighed deeply. "Oh good, I caught you." He stood up, dusting himself off and limped over to her. "I don't know why you have this crazy idea of going into Inferno to fetch Jeanne, but," he paused, feeling all eyes in the bar focusing on him, "I'm going with you."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes mockingly at Luka. "Oh, really?" she turned around and placed a few halos on the bar for Rodin. "That ought to cover my drinks," she said, then turned and began walking towards the exit, her gate taking on the persona of a prowling panther. Luka stumbled after her.

"See ya later, Bayonetta," Rodin called.

"I'll be back," Bayonetta drawled, waving dismissively over her shoulder at him. "Probably."

"And I'll be here," Rodin replied. "Maybe."

()()()()()()()()()()()

As Bayonetta strutted along, one hand on her hip, the other swinging by her side, Luka stumbled behind her, trying to keep up with her unusually fast pace.

"How exactly do you plan on getting down there?" he asked, waving his arms. "I mean, it's Inferno. We can't just stroll in, can we?"

Bayonetta once again rolled her eyes, then stopped abruptly, almost causing Luka to trip over her. Moving in a way that a predator does when stalking a prey, Bayonetta stepped back slightly, swinging her arm begrudgingly. "Go home, Luka," she said sternly.

He huffed, like an upset child. "You can't tell me what to do! I'm not letting you go alone!" he defended.

"And why not?" she mused, drawing out the word 'why'. Luka swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Because," he said, grabbing the collar of his shirt and flaring it slightly, "I promised I'd never stop following you. I'm not about to break that promise."

Bayonetta looked sternly at him from behind her butterfly glasses, her eyes glinting in the dim sunlight. She realized he wasn't going to give in. "Fine; you can come with," she finally said. "But as I said before-"

"I know, I know," Luka interrupted, raising his hands in defense. "I can take care of myself." He flashed a signature Luka smile at her then.

Bayonetta couldn't help but smile back at him.

()()()()()()()()()()()

It was getting dark, and the two could be found sitting in the park, in almost the exact spot Jeanne had been dragged down to Inferno at. Luka had kept quiet for most of the day, following Bayonetta around, occasionally asking her questions. She hadn't answered any of them.

At this point, Luka was getting slightly irritated. His eyebrow twitched and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Sooooo," he grunted, looking around, "How exactly are we getting to Inferno?"

Bayonetta stood up, as if done examining the spot on the ground. Honestly, she had been reminiscing about Jeanne, and figuring out how to do exactly what Luka had questioned. When she came to a decision she turned to Luka, pulling out a lollipop and sticking it sensually into her mouth.

"You're going to kill me."

"Wha-!" Luka sputtered, almost choking on his own spit. "I'm going to…what!"

Bayonetta put both her hands on her hips, jutting them gracefully to the side. "You heard me. You're going to kill me," she repeated.

Luka stood there, puzzled, blinking at the tall, ebony clothed witch.

As he stared, Bayonetta lifted her left hand from her hip, and held her hand out, pointing her index finger, then making a slow circle with it in the air. Following it was a trail of purple light, which then formed into a pentacle. Bayonetta reached into the portal and withdrew from it a sword- a katana, to be exact. To be even more exact, Shuraba, the demon sword, which Rodin had made her. It's magnificent silver and carefully wrapped hilt glistened in the crystalline moonlight.

Luka stared befuddled at it, as if he had never seen anything like it before. "Wait…you want me to…._stab _you?" he said, her words finally clicking in his head.

"Precisely," she smirked. "You up for the challenge?"

Luka began backing away, shaking his head furiously, his hands up in a defensive manner. "Oh no, oh no no no! There's NO way I'm doing that!"

Bayonetta began walking slowly towards him, carefully placing one foot in front of the other, advancing on him. "Oh? And may I ask why not?" she purred, twirling the lollipop seductively with her tongue.

Luka felt a burning in his lower abdomen and tugged on his collar, feeling his whole body swelling with warmth. "B-because…I have no reason…to…" he bartered.

Bayonetta cooed at Luka, "That's not what this is about, now is it, Cheshire?" she said. "I figure, the only way into Inferno, is if we get dragged down there." She swung Shuraba around with one hand as if it were a baton. "So, since you're so eager to help me, this is how you're going to do it."

"B-but if you die…doesn't your soul go to the devil….er whatever?" Luka asked. He wasn't actually sure how all this witch powers and demon stuff worked. He only knew what Rodin had said, and brief explanations from Bayonetta and Jeanne.

"Hmmmm," Bayonetta moaned. "Not exactly. But trust me, we're already expected in Hell. If we just come strolling in, they'll send armies after us. However," she stopped twirling the sword and pointed it hilt first towards Luka, "if we're dragged down, we'll be invited guests."

"So, I'll ask you one more time," Bayonetta said, with a hint of mockery in her voice. "Are you up for the challenge?"

()()()()()()()()()()()

After Bayonetta was finished making preparations for the little venture into Inferno, she stood up and dusted herself off, turning to Luka, who was examining the sword Shuraba with mutual interest. He rubbed his chin.

"A demon sword," he mumbled to himself. "Odd…"

"Are you done, Cheshire? We must be going. Hell isn't going to wait forever for us," Bayonetta drawled, pulling her lollipop from her mouth. All that was left was the stick, so she tossed it carelessly over her shoulder.

Luka looked up at her half startled, then nodded slowly. "Yeah…I guess…" he looked from the blade to Bayonetta. "I'm still not sure if this is such a good idea…"

"Oh, quit your worrying, Cheshire. Remember what I told you?" she said, pulling her glasses down slightly to gaze at him somberly over the rims of her spectacles. "I've got this all under control. As long as you do what I told you, nothing should go wrong. At least," she trailed off for a second, "as far as getting down there goes."

"Okay…" Luka held the sword up with both hands; he could feel his legs shaking from the anticipation. He wasn't exactly comfortable with stabbing the woman in front of him, especially because he-

"Cheshire!" Bayonetta called, interrupting his thoughts. "Stay focused. If you loose focus down there, you'll be killed for sure."

"Ah, right, sorry…" he mumbled and focused his eyes on her. A tightness gripped at his chest and he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. In his mind, Luka pictured a serene moment, and felt a warm wave wash over him.

Without opening his eyes, he said, "Well then…ready?"

"Cheshire, I was ready five minutes ag-" Bayonetta started, but was cut off when a harsh burning sensation exploded in her chest. She looked down to see blood pouring from an entry wound made by her sword, Shuraba; her gaze then traveled up to look at Luka.

His eyes were cold and staring, unemotional pools not seeing the pain he was causing to the woman right in front of him; he was fearful of what he was doing, so he had blocked all vision from his mind.

Bayonetta choked on her words and blood poured from her mouth as Luka removed the sword from her chest. He dropped it with a clank and stumbled back as a large portal opened up underneath Bayonetta, who was now crouched over, clutching her chest. Luka stepped a little closer, as if examining his handy work.

Bayonetta swung her head up and glared at Luka, then gave a smirk. "Don't get too close, Cheshire, you might get pulled down, too!" She said, the blood on her face staining the beautiful grin she had. In a flurry, she had reached out and snagged Luka's wrist, just as the arms from the demons of Inferno snatched her and began dragging her into the portal. "I'm not going alone!" she cried at him. He could only stare, a look of surprise on his face.

Bayonetta and Luka both disappeared into the portal to Inferno. The day was still around them.

* * *

><p>Yay! So there it is! I'm glad I'm getting this one out rather quickly. Hope you guys like it thus far!<p>

Some qualifiers:

-The reason Bayonetta is so emotional about Jeanne is because we actually see a soft side of her. A lot, really. Especially when she thinks Cereza is in trouble on the plane, but also when she remembers Jeanne is her friend and is kneeling by her side as Jeanne explains things to her. This also is where I get Jeanne's soft side from. When Jeanne thought she was dying, she was very soft and caring to Bayonetta/Cereza. So yeah. Sorry if it seems kinda OOC, but I hope it's okay!

Also! Special kudos for the person that can guess the movie quote I slipped in there. C;

Please review, I love getting comments, even if it's just to let me know you read it! Thanks!


	3. Trans Fluvium Acherontis

Aaaah, finally, chapter 1! xDD Think of those first two "chapters" as prologues, even though only the first one is titled as prologue. xD Anyway, really getting into the groove now, hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bayonetta or any characters related to it. The wonderful Sega does.

* * *

><p><strong>Circle 1: Limbo <strong>

**Trans Fluvium Acherontis**

** (Across the River Acheron**)

The sensory overload that adorned Luka was similar to that of someone having their head smashed between two boulders. All at once Luka was overcome with capsizing sounds, pounding feelings, and racing thoughts. To start with, there was a loud noise ringing in his ears; it sounded like a combination of snapping bones, buzzing electricity, and crumpling plastic wrap all at once. It resonated in his head and made it pound, smashing a hammer to his brain with each passing second. Then there was the feeling of the world around him, whizzing by at an alarming speed, whipping his hair and clothes, forcing his eyelids shut from sheer pressure. He could feel something rushing against his body, rubbing him raw, seemingly pulling the skin right off his bones. His throat was dry and painful, and Luka felt as if someone had stuffed several cotton balls down his throat. When he tried to breathe in, he choked on his the arid air. And through it all, Luka could still feel the groping claws of the demons, pulling them down, farther and farther into oblivion. He meekly wondered where they'd end up. Where they going directly to the devil himself?

A voice broke his thoughts. "Now, Luka!" sputtered Bayonetta.

At the sound of her voice, a wave of relief washed over Luka. It was short lived, however. He began fumbling nervously through his coat pockets, miserably trying to open his eyes. When he finally was able to get them to open, the wind lashing his face caused them to water instantly and he could feel them chaffing. His hand closed around something cold and made of glass in his pocket and he yanked it out quickly, grabbing Bayonetta with his other hand, drawing her close to him. From his jacket he had pulled a needle, which was filled with a red, hot liquid. A red-hot shot.

He swung the needle down and stuck it straight into Bayonetta's exposed chest, and pushed the plunger, emptying the vial.

As suddenly as it all had begun, everything around Luka stopped. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around Bayonetta and hugged her close to him. In the next second, they were in a free-fall, and after only a short moment, Luka's shoulder hit solid ground.

He yelped and the sudden collision caused him to release Bayonetta; she went tumbling away from Luka as the force of the fall threw him in the opposite direction. When he finally came to a stop, he could feel his entire body throbbing. Meekly, Luka lifted himself onto his elbows, collapsing only once before shifting to his knees.

"Bayonetta?" he called through gritted teeth, clutching his stomach in pain. "Bayonetta, where are you?"

His eyes scanned his surroundings quickly; it was dark, a thick darkness that made Luka feel claustrophobic. From the ground emanated fog so copious Luka supposed he could take a knife and cut through it; but he ignored it for now and stood, searching desperately for the ebony-haired witch. He spotted one of her blood-red ribbons only a few feet away.

Stumbling weakly, he rushed towards her, sliding to his knees next to her. At first, he wasn't sure what to do, but then he overcame his hesitation and reached out, turning Bayonetta over, so that she now lay on her back. Her eyes were shut, one frame of her glasses was bent, the glass cracked, reminding Luka somewhat of a puzzle. Blinking, he cleared his head of any straying thoughts and picked up Bayonetta, pulling her partially onto his lap. "Bayonetta?" he said, quietly at first. "Bayonetta, wake up."

"Bayonetta." Louder. "Bayonetta, wake up!" Louder still.

"Bayo-!"

She groaned and Luka snapped his mouth shut. When she first opened her eyes, they were rolled up in the back of her head. He shook her once more and she blinked heavily, her eyes rolling forward, returning to their normal position.

"Ch-cheshire…?" she mumbled, her eyes dilated. After blinking a few times, they also returned to their normal state.

Luka visibly exhaled a sigh of relief. "Fucking hell, you scared me. Don't _ever_ do that again," he said.

Bayonetta sat up and put one hand on his chest, pushing him firmly away from her; or maybe her away from him, he wasn't exactly sure, nor did he care much. He was just glad to see her alive and breathing.

"Oh, don't be such a pussy, Cheshire," she drawled, taking her glasses off. "Oh, bugger. Broke my glasses."

Lifting a hand, she tapped the broken lens with a finger. A drop of purple seemed to fall from her finger and onto the glasses, spreading out in a ripple. Luka watched, fascinated, as the cracks began to retaliate, mending themselves. After a moment, they were completely fixed and looked as if nothing had happened. "Ah, much better," Bayonetta said, nestling the glasses back on her face.

Luka watched as she stood up and brushed herself off, then put her hands on her hips, looking around. Slowly, he lifted himself as well, although cringing when he tried to stand up straight. There was a sharp twinge in his shoulder and he cradled it, trying to hide his excruciating pain from Bayonetta.

But her gaze saw all and she turned daintily towards him, no sign of pain in her face, although Luka believed she must be feeling at least _some_. Or maybe not?

"Come now, Cheshire, did you hurt yourself?" she asked playfully, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He stepped back defensively.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine," he said, flashing her a small smile. She glared at him from behind her glasses, then adjusted them quickly and whirled around.

"All right then," she said dismissively, waving a lazy hand in the air. "Shall we get going?"

Luka sighed and smiled to himself. He was glad she was okay.

()()()()()()()()()()()

With the calming feeling of knowing Bayonetta was alright, Luka took a moment to ponder their location. When he couldn't think of anything, he sidled up to Bayonetta, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "So, where are we? This doesn't exactly look like Hell."

Bayonetta, who had been staring off at something, snapped back to attention and looked at Luka warily through her glasses. "Limbo." She answered.

"Limbo?" Luka reiterated.

"Precisely. This is our first stop; now all we have to do is find Charon…" Bayonetta trailed off and began walking forward.

"Wait, why are we in Limbo? I thought we were going to Inferno?"

"We are. Limbo is the first stop. Don't you know your mythology, Cheshire?"

Luka blinked, then scratched his head. "Actually, no…"

"Uuugh," Bayonetta sighed. "Limbo is the first circle of Inferno. In order to get to Inferno, we have to cross the river Acheron, which separates Limbo from Inferno. Limbo is where all the souls who have committed no sin, but lead non-virtuous lives are sent. They're doomed to wander for all eternity in a vast land of darkness, with no purpose," Bayonetta explained, a bit disgruntled at having to do so. "It's an awful fate, but less so, I suppose, than being in Hell Proper…"

"Souls? I don't see anyone," Luka retorted, slightly irritated. She looked lazily at him, almost unemotionally, which made Luka shiver.

She laughed shortly. "Look around you, Cheshire; _open your eyes_," she said, breathing the last part so that it was almost a whisper.

Luka stopped and looked around, squinting his eyes as if looking into a bright light; when his eyes focused, he gazed deeply into the fog surrounding them, but he saw not a soul in sight, except for himself and Bayonetta.

Then, it registered in his brain and Luka noticed the fog moving around him. It formed into that of a human and looked Luka straight in the eyes. Although not in visible pain, the only emotion Luka saw on the figure's face was emptiness. He shivered and scuttled closer to Bayonetta.

"Their fate is to live eternally on the shores of Acheron," she said quietly, not even paying attention to the thousands of souls all gazing at her.

"Soooo, how come we stopped here? Why didn't we just go directly to Hell?" Luka asked, still cradling his shoulder.

"Because, if we went directly to hell, my soul would be taken to my demon sponsor, and I'd be toast," Bayonetta said. "And we don't want that, now do we, Cheshire?"

"No, I suppose not," Luka replied, looking down. At the mention of 'demon sponsors', questions popped into Luka's mind. "Hold on, what the hell are demon sponsors anyway?"

Bayonetta cocked her head to the side, staring at Luka as if examining him. "You sure ask a lot of questions, don't you, Cheshire."

Blinking, Luka replied, "Sorry, kinda habit. Being a journalist and all."

She chuckled. "Oh yes, Luka Redgrave, journalist extraordinaire. And you don't even know your Inferno trivia."

She began walking away from him, sashaying her hips, half hypnotizing Luka. He shook his head and started after her.

()()()()()()()()()()()

_Somewhere, in Paradiso, angels gather. They whisper, they mutter, they murmur. They have all heard the rumors. _

"_Another Lumen sage…" mumbles one._

"_Alive? No, it can't be." Says another._

"_Who is it?"_

_They wait for news, and wonder. _

"_It worked!" Comes an excited voice. A large being is floating above them._

"_Misguidance has succeeded," boasts the loud voice. "Into Inferno she has gone. Now we must wait."_

_More rumors._

"_They're dead? We won?"one questions._

"_The witches!" exclaims one. "Dead! All hail Jubileus!"_

_Shouts ring out; shouts of joy, triumph. Paradiso is in celebration; the long war between Umbra and Lumen has finally ended._

_The large being smiles to himself, flapping his large wings. "It has started, Father," he says to himself. "Soon, the next Lumen Sage will awaken. My only regret is that you are not here to see it."_

()()()()()()()()()()()

After walking for what seemed like hours on end, Bayonetta finally spotted what she was looking for.

"Ah, _finally_," she muttered, a hint of impatience dripping in her voice. Luka stopped and followed her gaze.

Up ahead was a dock, and beyond the dock, a misty horizon of nothingness. At the dock, was a boat; and in the boat, was a cloaked figure. "Now where are we?"

Bayonetta strode forward. "Acheron River. And the only way across the river," she said, motioning towards the hooded figure, "is on Charon's boat."

"Acheron, Charon, Inferno?" Luka grabbed his head, "These are all ancient mythological things. Out of a Greek textbook or something," he groaned.

"Funny," Bayonetta said, adjusting her glasses as they approached the dock, "how things turn out."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Charon stood like a statue in the boat. Bayonetta's heels clicked on the rotting wood; a disgusting sound of metal scraping sodden wood filled Luka's ears and made his teeth grind. Ignoring it, he stopped next to Bayonetta, who was now level with Charon. The hooded being didn't move an inch.

"Pardon me, kind sir," she said sarcastically, "but I need to borrow your boat."

This stirred something in the ancient being. He moved a hand from the oar on the boat and lifted his hood off, in order to look properly at the two in front of him. "Live beings cannot cross the ancient river Acheron."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes and withdrew one of her guns; Parsley, to be exact, and pointed it directly at Charon's head. "What do you suppose happens if you're killed while already in the afterlife?"

Though his face showed no sign of it, Luka could tell Charon was fearful. His eyes glistened.

"Ah, to threaten with such a beautiful weapon," Charon said, and stepped meekly to the side. "Come aboard, my guests."

His voice was liquid, like molten steel, and it rolled off his tongue so easily, reminding Luka of a snake. His disheveled grey hair flopped around his face, untouched for centuries. His skin was ragged, colourless, a filthy olive-green. Luka shrank away from him and stood behind Bayonetta on the boat.

"Please," Charon almost hissed, "have a seat."

Watching Charon carefully, Bayonetta and Luka sat down, Bayonetta crossing her legs and cupping her hands on her knees.

"Well, this is certainly delightful, isn't it, Cheshire?" she smirked playfully at him.

"If this is your sense of what's 'delightful', I'm afraid of what you find terrifying," he mumbled.

"Funny," she smirked, "I was thinking the same thing."

Confused by her words, Luka sank back into the boat and pulled his scarf around him closer. He leaned slightly over and gazed into the black waters as Charon used the oar to push them away from the dock into the all-consuming waters.

"I wouldn't do that," Charon said, not looking at Luka. He had pulled his hood back up, which Luka found actually more comforting than the demon's face. "If I were you. You might get pulled in."

Luka looked from Charon to Bayonetta, who was now preoccupied with something on her mirror. Ignoring her, Luka turned back to Charon. "What do you mean, pulled in?"

"Not every soul makes it," Charon started, his voice slow, and breaking, as if someone had stuffed cotton in Luka's ears. "Across the river…"

Everything around Luka began going fuzzy. He rubbed his eyes, but it only helped in worsening his vision. He distantly heard Bayonetta saying his name, then his head hit wood and he blacked out.

()()()()()()()()()()()

The first thing that registered in Luka's brain was voices; they were near him, he knew that, and yet they still sounded distant and echoing, ringing in his head like a far-off buzzing noise.

Then his eyes fluttered open and he raised his hands to his head, rubbing the grogginess from his eyes.

"Morning, Cheshire," Bayonetta cooed. She was leaning over him, a half-concerned look on her face, her eyes glistening playfully. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Blinking, Luka continued to lie there, not sure whether to sit up or not. He was afraid the raven-haired witch might get the wrong idea if he did. "Ha," he scoffed, turning his head to avoid her gaze.

Bayonetta leaned back, crossing her legs and putting her weight back onto her arms. "You missed the entire ride: there were rainbows, and butterflies, and unicorns! I heard humans really like those things," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she examined one of her gloved hands.

Luka took the chance to sit up and looked around. The boat was now docked on a shore, and this time (for sure, Luka thought) there really wasn't a soul in sight. Instead, two large, towering doors, with an inscription in a language Luka couldn't read, was the only thing around them. They seemed to emanate a cold air that chilled Luka to the bone.

"I'm sure it was a wonderful ride," he replied sarcastically, trying to hide his growing fear. He was beginning to regret following Bayonetta down here; _I should just leave all the magic and demons to Bayonetta_, he thought warily to himself.

Charon was looking expectantly at the two, clutching his oar rather tightly, stretching his pale, sagging skin at the elbow and palm. Bayonetta paid him no heed as she stood and stepped from the boat, stretching her sensuous legs purposefully. Luka saw Charon examining her from the corner of his eye.

He stood up quickly, blocking Charon's vision and shuffled out of the boat, making sure to stay behind Bayonetta. He quickly chanced a look at Charon over his shoulder and saw the lonely chauffer pushing away to once again journey across the river he'd probably been across thousands of times.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Bayonetta came to a stop at the large doors and placed her hands on her hips, looking up to examine all the minute details the doors possessed. Her eyes lingered on the inscription in the very center of the two.

"Relinque spem omnem, quis intrabit," Luka said with a flare only someone "cultural" could put on.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," Bayonetta translated, even though she knew he could read Latin as well. Her eyes narrowed and she turned roughly towards Luka. "You can still turn back, kitty," she said, with a serious, yet light tone.

Luka looked at her. "Hey, I can take care of myself," he defended, and once again thought about regretting his decision. He shook his head, though, trying to shake the thought away. "Shall we?" he motioned for the doors.

Bayonetta stared at him for a moment longer, as if deciding whether or not to let him follow her, then looked sideways at the door, and strode up to it. "It's certainly much less inviting then our previous endeavor," she said, pushing up her glasses. "No red carpet or anything."

Luka couldn't help but chuckle- even with the grave situation that they were in, he found himself enjoying the moment.

She smiled, but he didn't notice.

Bayonetta lifted her hands and pressed them against the doors, hesitating, but only for a moment. She then pushed forward, and with little resistance, the doors parted; a red light streamed from between them, flooding Luka's eyes, filling his entire being with dread.

* * *

><p>And break! The plot thickens!<p>

From now on, it'll all be mainly from Luka's point of view. I like the distance that that gives me from Bayonetta, while still having insight into her. She seems like such a mysterious character, I wanted to keep her thoughts in her head. Although, later on, it may switch to her P.O.V. ;D

Also, all references to "Inferno" are from: .org/wiki/Dante%27s_Inferno

Thanks for reading! Please review/rate/comment! Tell me how I'm doing!


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